Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

  On 12/12/2023 at 21:50, flat4alfa said:

This is the only one of those, going back over two weeks - same ref number?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175958747242

Could it be you ordered something else from seller and they sent wrong thing

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Well that's what I thought but the one I've been sent is a long card with the Chinese import stickers on the back - looking like it's a sweeping scam - doesn't effect me, just a way to generate false feedback

[MiniMinorMk3]

  On 12/12/2023 at 16:20, flat4alfa said:

It's modelled on the Samir Sadikhov render 'Van Defender'.  I think it's great that Master picked it up and are producing the models

 

 

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/a-designer-reimagined-the-classic-land-rover-defender-as-a-rugged-van-ready-for-the-end-times-1234569650/

 

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I wonder where the engine/gearbox and transfer case would go in that, not to mention the the front shocks. Also if they had managed to squeeze the engine between the front seats, how do you actually get them, through the windscreen?

  On 12/12/2023 at 18:15, flat4alfa said:

Sadikhov is a young Azerbaijani who is based at Frankfurt in Germany

Jeep VANGLER

Or his G-VAN even

Some of his designs have become reality, such as Mint for Genesis (Hyundai)

 

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Again this just would not work unless the front seat occupants didn't mind having a coil over up their...

[MiniMinorMk3]

The Holidays are Coming...

[danthecapriman]

Picked this little fella up the other day.    
Never seen one before, Nissan Prairie in 1:43. Looks a bit dated compared to other models I’ve bought lately but still a nice looking model of a car you don’t see much.

 

Also got a Nova! Corsa technically but you know!        
1:43, came in one of those little plastic blister packs with the card base so most likely from a magazine collection of some sort. Funny colour, almost like a sun faded pinkish red.

[Split_Pin]

The Prairie was part of the Century of Cars partwork in 2003 but I'm fairly sure it's an older casting. Solidos usually have a date on the baseplate. Most of the cars in that series were old castings, I think the newest was about 1998.

[danthecapriman]

  On 13/12/2023 at 15:52, Split_Pin said:

The Prairie was part of the Century of Cars partwork in 2003 but I'm fairly sure it's an older casting. Solidos usually have a date on the baseplate. Most of the cars in that series were old castings, I think the newest was about 1998.

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02 86 is the number in the centre? 1986?

[bunglebus]

I very nearly picked up that Century of Cars Prairie along with the Porsche 928 at a toy fair. Decided I didn't really need them in the end

[danthecapriman]

  On 13/12/2023 at 17:29, bunglebus said:

I very nearly picked up that Century of Cars Prairie along with the Porsche 928 at a toy fair. Decided I didn't really need them in the end

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Was the 928 brown? 
Pretty sure I found one of them in a job lot off eBay some months back. Someone on here had it I think but I can’t remember who.

[MiniMinorMk3]

The transfer window is open...

or a short series of posts on sticking the decals on to an old Luso Toys BMW.

First up whats in the box.

One nicely cast Group 5 BMW

A sheet of 41 decals...

and a couple of very small pictures to aid decal placement.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

First thing to do is give the model a wash. Here is it fresh from a quick cleaning with some water, a drop of Fairy and 1" paint brush. The inner windows always get fogged up, but soon dry out.

Next up, try and find some picture of the actual car.

Well after about 30 minutes of research it turns out that the car was driven by Jorg Obermoser...

in the 1977 DRM Championship only raced with the number 4, never with the number 5.

So why the number 5. Well it appears that a few model makers have made the same mistake as Luso.

The original Minichamps people sold a white metal kit with the number 5...

Quartzo did a version with the number 5...

and Minichamps did one in diecast

Luckily Carmodel have some decent pictures of the Luso with the decals attached, so that is what I will use as a guide.

[bunglebus]

  On 13/12/2023 at 17:38, danthecapriman said:

Was the 928 brown?

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Yes that's it. Looked well done but just too much "model" for me

[Jon]

Continuing my sporadic documenting of overseas arrivals, here's a few more:

Initially, this looks like a grubby little casting, akin to a cracker toy or some such.

 

And that's likely true to a point but this is a Playart casting, so I was naturally drawn to it when @danthecapriman offered it up for literal pence - 25 of them, from memory.

 

On arrival to the tat holding area in York, my Dad became interested in it, as it was clearly a miniaturised loose copy homage to the Lesney 200 gallon water tanker. I'd thought as much, as one was included in the basket of cast off toys of my uncle, left round my grandparent's house and as such, a source of hours of enjoyment from a younger me.

 

I'll admit I was entirely price and brand led on picking this one but it's certainly got high curio value (to, erm, me) and budget casting elements aside, the paint has a nice lustre. I've also got some other similar castings knocking about somewhere, so I guess I collect these now, too...?

 

This is possibly a @bunglebus buy, with a mind to use with some nice period US street scenes I've got lined up, although I'm severely lacking in mojo for the whole endeavour, tbh.

 

I was also drawn to the comically long boot of this Husky rendition of an Oldsmobile Starfire hardtop. Admittedly, the real one isn't short but I think there's a little artistic scale contrivement going on here.

 

Still, plenty of room to stow lumps of dirt, gravel and chewed up balls of paper, or whatever else a 60's child may have stashed away.

 

For such a cheap casting, it certainly has some presence, though.

 

Same mood doesn't really apply to the final one for today.

 

Though this is my least favourite style of 20th Century F series truck, the intact camper body was of interest. And that service body out back (which I'm sure Corgi used in other applications for max value) does at least delete the over styled standard truck body, so I've only half as many horridly penned wheel arches to see beyond.

 

Again, for such a cheap model, Corgi have done well. There is of course a high proportion of brittle silvered plastic but it actually suits the camper body well. The yellow back door which slides open is also a nice little touch.

 

Some semblance of a camper interior is also attempted, which is often not the case.

If I'd have had one of these growing up, the temptation to lift off the camper body from the retaining clips would've been too great, so I'm glad the previous owners have shown more self control, as I'm sure the body wouldn't survive such an endeavour intact.

 

Anyway, I don't remember the prices of the Huskies but they were bought on here, so wouldn't have cost much. In fact, this little lot would probably stretch to the price of a standard new Hot Wheels. Amazing!

[bunglebus]

  On 13/12/2023 at 19:04, Jon said:

Still, plenty of room to stow lumps of dirt, gravel and chewed up balls of paper, or whatever else a 60's child may have stashed away.

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Bloody plasticine normally!

[flat4alfa]

  On 13/12/2023 at 19:04, Jon said:

I was also drawn to the comically long boot of this Husky rendition of an Oldsmobile Starfire hardtop. Admittedly, the real one isn't short but I think there's a little artistic scale contrivement going on here.

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It’s the Jimmy Hoffa funeral car edition

[FakeConcern]

Latest Fake Corgis...

You're probably not but in case you were wondering what happened to the donor cars that gave up a bonnet, headlamps and roof panels for my Whizzwheels Corgi Stingray restoration, here's the answer...

The pink one is inspired by Matchbox King Size dragster versions of Charger, Cougar etc, but with a twist.

The blue one is obviously a take on the Corgi C2 Lazy Bones Stock Car Stingray

I got one of them (Lazy Bones) with a bent roof the other day to repair the grill of my childhood one so I used the bits I didn't want for this

The transfers I'd already got for the restoration of said childhood Lazy Bones, now I need some more!

The least successful part of them are the roof panels loving crafted (bodged) from Tic Tac boxes. I have three left (drivers) side original panels, but that doesn't help much. If anyone knows where to get replacement ones or has some right side ones (or complete cars) they'd sell me then I'm interested.

The twist on the pink car?

It still has Golden Jacks take off wheels!

[Spottedlaurel]

  On 13/12/2023 at 14:34, danthecapriman said:

Picked this little fella up the other day.    
Never seen one before, Nissan Prairie in 1:43. Looks a bit dated compared to other models I’ve bought lately but still a nice looking model of a car you don’t see much.

 

Also got a Nova! Corsa technically but you know!        
1:43, came in one of those little plastic blister packs with the card base so most likely from a magazine collection of some sort. Funny colour, almost like a sun faded pinkish red

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Oh Dan, you sent me down a right little rabbit hole there, when I should be doing grown-up things like reading our draft wills.

I have a similar Prairie, also light metallic green but with a darker grey interior and front bumper and different style wheels, in Solido packaging:

Yes, I think was just £1 and it wasn't that many years ago either.

Similar date on the baseplate.

Opening tailgate, complete with French plate for departement 27 which is the Eure. What's the significance of that, I wondered....

It's nextdoor to the 28 Eure-et-Loir departement where they were manufactured, actually less than a mile from the border.

Oulins isn't very big, wonder if I can find the place? Yes! https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 This was in 2008, with to let signs evident on the factory/warehouse building.

It became an E. LeClerc Drive outlet, but with the Solido signage still clearly visible: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 Wonder if there is anything about the building's former history inside? Probaby not, as I think it's just a click-and-collect place.

Interestingly it looks as if the reception/office area is still to let - an ideal place for a Shite in Miniature museum?

Found a nice, but slightly sad, little bit about Solido here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 It was that first photo that helped me find where they were.

I'm now wondering if I've ever been through there. If not I've certainly been very close.

Somewhere to make a little pilgrimage to on a future French holiday I think.....

[danthecapriman]

  On 13/12/2023 at 21:02, Spottedlaurel said:

Oh Dan, you sent me down a right little rabbit hole there, when I should be doing grown-up things like reading our draft wills.

I have a similar Prairie, also light metallic green but with a darker grey interior and front bumper and different style wheels, in Solido packaging:

Yes, I think was just £1 and it wasn't that many years ago either.

Similar date on the baseplate.

Opening tailgate, complete with French plate for departement 27 which is the Eure. What's the significance of that, I wondered....

It's nextdoor to the 28 Eure-et-Loir departement where they were manufactured, actually less than a mile from the border.

Oulins isn't very big, wonder if I can find the place? Yes! https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 This was in 2008, with to let signs evident on the factory/warehouse building.

It became an E. LeClerc Drive outlet, but with the Solido signage still clearly visible: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 Wonder if there is anything about the building's former history inside? Probaby not, as I think it's just a click-and-collect place.

Interestingly it looks as if the reception/office area is still to let - an ideal place for a Shite in Miniature museum?

Found a nice, but slightly sad, little bit about Solido here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5dGuiWZPyn1otKNs9 It was that first photo that helped me find where they were.

I'm now wondering if I've ever been through there. If not I've certainly been very close.

Somewhere to make a little pilgrimage to on a future French holiday I think.....

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That bit of research sounds way more interesting than what you were supposed to be doing!😅

It’s a funny little model/toy. Tbh that was the attraction to it for me. What an odd choice of a model to make. It’s always good to see a manufacturer do the weird choice though instead of endless waves of the same subjects churned out over and over, and it seems Jap cars of the 80’s and earlier are not all that common compared to various others.

[Spottedlaurel]

  On 13/12/2023 at 22:19, danthecapriman said:

It’s a funny little model/toy. Tbh that was the attraction to it for me. What an odd choice of a model to make. It’s always good to see a manufacturer do the weird choice though instead of endless waves of the same subjects churned out over and over, and it seems Jap cars of the 80’s and earlier are not all that common compared to various others.

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Kind of a shame it didn't have the hinged front and sliding rear doors as on the 1:1, but I think that would have been a little ambitious/impossible.

[FakeConcern]

  On 13/12/2023 at 22:30, Spottedlaurel said:

Kind of a shame it didn't have the hinged front and sliding rear doors as on the 1:1, but I think that would have been a little ambitious/impossible.

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Corgi sort of did that with the Daf City Car

[Volksy]

I washed the cars today. 

[eddyramrod]

  On 13/12/2023 at 19:04, Jon said:

If I'd have had one of these growing up, the temptation to lift off the camper body from the retaining clips would've been too great, so I'm glad the previous owners have shown more self control, as I'm sure the body wouldn't survive such an endeavour intact.

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They didn't.  I know; I had a few, and some of the blue towtruck that used the same casting.  Finding an intact camper is a real achievement.  Well done!

  On 13/12/2023 at 22:39, FakeConcern said:

Corgi sort of did that with the Daf City Car

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Kind of; ditto Dinky with the police Transit.  On both though, the arrangement is different to the Prairie.  I recently restored the DAF.  It's very fiddly to reassemble.  Oh and I have the Prairie too.

[Split_Pin]

  On 13/12/2023 at 16:48, danthecapriman said:

02 86 is the number in the centre? 1986?

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February 1986 so more or less coincides with the launch of the real car. I wonder if there are any in so-called dealer packaging?

[Split_Pin]

  On 13/12/2023 at 17:38, danthecapriman said:

Was the 928 brown? 
Pretty sure I found one of them in a job lot off eBay some months back. Someone on here had it I think but I can’t remember who.

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The issue in the Century of Cars was indeed a brown one. Very nice it is too although I still prefer the Superfast versions.

[Split_Pin]

Thank you @bunglebus for acquiring these for me:

The Proton is tremendous. I thought it was a wind up when the prototype appeared last year. 

 

[sierraman]

Think I’ll keep an eye out for that one, I’ve cause to pass an Entertainer tomorrow so I’ll check out. 

[danthecapriman]

Bagged this off eBay last week. It was absolutely filthy though! Clearly been off its base before and played with in the mud judging by the state of the bottom of it. Thick with dust and grime on top too. 
Cleaned up well though.

The green paint doesn’t actually do it justice imho, it’s more detailed than it looks but the thick green hides it.

[bunglebus]

The Jay Leno set is now a tenner in Smyths. For four premiums! 

[MiniMinorMk3]

  On 13/12/2023 at 17:29, bunglebus said:

I very nearly picked up that Century of Cars Prairie along with the Porsche 928 at a toy fair. Decided I didn't really need them in the end

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  On 13/12/2023 at 17:38, danthecapriman said:

Was the 928 brown? 
Pretty sure I found one of them in a job lot off eBay some months back. Someone on here had it I think but I can’t remember who.

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  On 14/12/2023 at 07:06, Split_Pin said:

The issue in the Century of Cars was indeed a brown one. Very nice it is too although I still prefer the Superfast versions.

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The original Solido 928 came in red or metallic blue.

Here's an early metal based red one.

The blue versions look a lot better as the red just looks so, well just boring. Nice attempt on the wheels though.

The base has a date of 6-77, which is only 3 months after the car was first shown to the public at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show.

Lots of detail just like contemporary Corgis and Dinkys.

I prefer the Solido 924 Turbo. This came in metallic black...

or metallic green.

Again good attempt at the wheels.

Dated 02-80

And the same features.

Finally a later economy version in gold with generic wheels...

and cast light lenses.

[bunglebus]

Popped into two Smyths on my tours today, found a big load of nothing - except this

I do like an error car - you can just about see the other side has the correct tampo 

[Datsuncog]

Slightly newer Matchbox grab boxes in Poundstretcher this week:

I would quite like a boxed Kadett in orange, but it seems a little unnecessary when I have a couple of blister pack ones already...

Some even older Matchbox long cards were also available, plus more previously-seen 2021 release Hot Wheels on long cards which - once again - are unusually grouped on single pegs of just one model, with a relevant price tag.

Not sure how this works, as I thought Mattel made it a point of policy to only supply their diecast toys in standardised mixed cases - as opposed to the likes of Corgi, who back in the day allowed retailers to order whatever they liked from their trade catalogues. The advantage of standard cases means less warehousing space needed, less 'dead stock' from unpopular models, and fewer people running around picking retailer orders - which is probably why Mattel are still around as a volume toymaker and Corgi kinda aren't.

But I though the Hot Wheels way of doing things for mainline diecasts was simply - Bam! Here's a mixed case. Take it or leave it.

Yet there's probably about ten Deltas, McLarens and Space Cruisers on each peg here - so either Poundstretcher are buying and opening multiple cases and grouping together specific models for individual peg merchandising, at a regional distribution or at a store level, or else some wholesaler's doing the same thing and then selling packs of single models on to Poundstretcher.

Weird.

Maybe explains why they're all quite pricey, compared to other discount retailers?

Because, at £1.01 less, the HW mainlines are evidently flying off the pegs next door in Home Bargains:

Only one single Plymouth GTX left, plus some reasonably inexpensive examples from the Monster Trucks range (not sure how a Dodge Charger is now a truck, but hey...)

Likewise, in Poundland all the Hot Wheels had been snapped up...

While only a pair of relatively unloved bike trailers remained to keep the Matchbox peg warm.

Don't often see Matchbox products in TK Maxx, either...

From the Action Drivers range, this Canyon Adventure playset - complete with generic 'Snow Thrasher' - can be yours for only £22.

Looks slightly more like a hill than a canyon to me, but then what do I know?

The fact I was even considering this should probably be a warning to myself... but no, I didn't. Don't worry.

Might nip into Tesco at lunchtime and see if they've anything new to tickle me.